Love In the New Millennium
by soulgyrl53
Summary: I'm sure many, many stories have been writing about "after the millennium kiss". Here's my account of how I saw the rest of that night unfold. A little humor, some raw emotion, and a whole lot of love.


Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully left the waiting room of Hartwell Psychiatric Hospital together. Earlier that evening, they had successfully thwarted an attempt by the grievously misguided Millennium Group to bring about the Apocalypse…the end of ages. Of course, whether or not it would have _actually happened_ …..well….

Now, as they proceeded down the hallway towards the exit, their conversation was on the immediate future. They walked with Mulder's good arm around his partner, the other in a sling after…of all things…a zombie attack. As they reached the outside doors, Scully looked up at Mulder and smiled.

"So, where to now, or are you calling it a night?" She said, lightly patting his injured arm.

"Come on, Scully. You don't think I'd let a little thing like an arm wounded in a skirmish with the un-dead ruin my New Year's Eve do you?" Mulder snickered. "That's just collateral damage in our line of work! No Scully, actually…actually, I'm thinking a nightcap might be in order."

Scully smiled as she held the door for both of them. "Well, while I wouldn't be adverse to a drink, I'm not so sure about going to a bar, Mulder. This time of the night… and _especially_ on this particular night…I mean _New Year's Eve_ ….of the _new millennium_ …you know the bars are going to be full of drunken people. Inebriated people falling down, acting like idiots, smashing into things, kissing and hanging all over each other… And does anybody really say _nightcap_ anymore?"

"Oh...you've got something against kissing and hanging all over each other, do you? You didn't seem to mind a little while ago," he said pointing behind them. "Well…thee… ahh….the kissing part anyway," he said stifling a laugh.

Scully rolled her eyes. "Stop it Mulder, you know what I mean! And the kiss was…fine. The kiss was fine. Annnddd… _moving on_ , as the taverns are a big _noooo…_ that leaves us with two options… I guess."

"Which are?" Mulder teased, as they continued walking to Scully's car.

"You're awful tonight…your place or mine?"

"Should we flip for it? Here," he said digging a coin out of his pants pocket. "You do it…you're the one with two working arms at the moment. For my place….I call tails."

"You would," Scully laughed. She stopped walking and took the quarter from Mulder, tossed it up with her right hand, caught it, and slapped it down on top of her left one.

"Ah, heads it is," she exclaimed with a triumphant smile on her face.

Mulder dropped his chin down on his chest in mock exasperation. "Damn. Looks like I'm stuck wearing these… _uncomfortable_ clothes for the rest of the evening."

"Oh, you poor thing," Scully mocked. "Let's see, I probably have something pink and fuzzy… or blue and silky you could slip into."

"Yeah right. So you can sneak a picture somehow and blackmail me with it when the opportunity presents itself? No thanks. There's always my boxers."

They reached Scully's car and they both got in. Scully fastened her seatbelt and started the engine.

"What makes you think I'm okay with you running around my apartment in your boxers? And aren't you forgetting something," she said, gesturing to Mulder's seatbelt.

"What? You never saw a man in a pair of boxers? And ah…a little help with this belt would be nice," said Mulder, holding up his injured arm.

"Baby," Scully kidded, as she fastened his belt. "You know Mulder, I'm not sure I have much _nightcap_ material at home. There is a bottle of Lambrusco I meant to take to my mom's last week for dinner...and then walked out the door without it. Oh...and I think there's two bottles of Sam Adams winter lager in the fridge. And they were supposed to be for a recipe I never got around to making."

"Well then, I'd say were good to go, Scully." He looked at her and she gave a little smile back.

The agent pulled out onto the highway and the two rode in a comfortable silence for some time, enjoying the quiet and the pacifying knowledge that the other one was there.

Scully pulled off the highway and continued on towards her apartment. She looked over at her partner and saw that his eyes were closed, turned her attention back to the road and sighed. He was just so…easy to be with. And that kiss… _I know it was just an "In the heat of the moment" type of thing…but my god…_ She could still feel his mouth on her lips. The taste and smell of him were still there. Had it been as…pleasurable for him? Did it _mean_ anything?

 _Easy, Dana. Don't go reading too much into this. You both have had a particularly rough couple of days and emotions were running high._ Still, she could not chase it from her mind.

Three blocks from home, she came to a stop sign and the change in motion jolted Mulder awake.

"Hi sunshine," she exclaimed, giving him a big smile.

"Sorry I conked out on you there, Scully. Where are we? Oh, I see... this is your road."

"Um hmm. Almost home Mulder."

She parked in the first available space and they made their way into the building and her apartment. She excused herself and went into her bedroom to change. _The pink silk PJ's? Yep, and the matching robe._ She then dug around in a trunk in her closet and found the one thing she was looking for: a pair of flannel "New York Yankee's" pajama bottoms. She remembered them while she was dressing. Her brother Bill had left them the last time he and Tara had spent the night and she had put them in the trunk for a "just in case" event…like this one.

Scully made her way back to the living room to find Mulder had already discarded his tie, socks, and shoes, and had unbuttoned his shirt. He was flicking his way through the TV channels. She held up the pajama bottoms.

"What do you think?"

Mulder made a funny face. "You want me to wear another man's pajamas? Or do you always keep a spare pair around for your _men friends_ when they drop over?"

"Don't be cute, Mulder. They're my brother Bill's. He left them here. Now, do you want them or not."

"Okay, okay...don't get testy. Just trying to throw a little humor into the situation."

Scully threw the pajamas and they landed draped over Mulder's head. "How's that for humor?"

"Oh Scully, you are soooo lucky I only have one good arm!" Mulder removed the pajamas from his head and tried looking fierce, but Scully thought he looked ridiculous and she burst out laughing.

"Okay, alright there, tiger. Why don't you go in the bathroom and change? Just leave your t-shirt on…you can manage to change pants by yourself, can't you?"

An impish grin appeared on Mulder's face. "Oh, I don't know…with this arm…."

Scully rolled her eyes and gave him a "go on" gesture while she headed for the kitchen.

"Just do it Mulder and I'll get the beer…and the wine," she told him over her shoulder.

By the time she returned to the living room with the drinks and a bag of chips, Mulder was planted on the couch watching the National Geographic channel.

"Sea otters, Mulder," she questioned handing him a Sam Adams.

"Yeah, Scully they're fascinating creatures. Although, their mating practices leave something to be desired."

Scully sighed. "Mulder, can we _please_ watch something else. I'm not really interested in the dirty mating practices of sea otters right now. I think "Star Wars" is on tonight."

"Or," Mulder started as he clicked off the TV, "we could talk. How about it Scully, what plans do you have for the new millennium?"

"You mean other than working on the x-files? Hmm…. I don't know Mulder. I haven't really thought about it much to tell you the truth. It's enough for me to plan one or two months in advance leave alone for a new millennium. I guess I haven't started working on my "bucket list" yet. I mean…there are things I've always wanted to do. Things I _thought_ I would do, but ….didn't. Things I _thought_ I _could_ do…but …couldn't… not…sure it's… ever going to….now…." Her voice trailed away and Mulder looked at her in some concern. He knew what she was thinking, knew how badly she had wanted to become a mother. Scully's eyes started misting over and she turned quickly away hoping Mulder hadn't noticed.

Too late. Mulder took another swig of his beer, set it down, and moved closer to Scully.

"Hey," he said, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. Don't give up hope yet. They're coming up with new technology and procedures all the time. You could try again….if not with your own eggs then ...maybeeee a donated one. Or who knows, a miracle could still happen." He kissed her cheek ever so gently.

"I know Mulder." She wiped the tears from her face and gave a little smile. It just makes me ….sad sometimes. But...what about you? Any deep, dark, secret plans for the upcoming years you've never made me privy to?"

"I think you know all my plans, Scully. They haven't changed all that much since we met. The x-files are my life's work. There's always some monster to catch, some plan to foil, some conspiracy to uncover….some demon to conquer."

Scully brushed back a few strands of hair that had fallen across Mulder's face, and then caressed his cheek with her thumb. "I know, "she said, her voice barely a whisper. "But that work has taken so much from you…from us. It's time it gave something back."

Mulder looked deep into her eyes. He took the soft hand that was stroking his cheek and kissed it lightly. "It has," he answered huskily.

He then encircled the woman beside him with his working arm and drew her closer. Mulder rested his face on top of her head and let the essence that was Dana Scully fill him. He loved her. It was as simple and as complicated as that. It didn't make any sense to deny it any longer. He doubted he was fooling anyone anyway. Definitely not himself…and almost certainly not her. And now, with that kiss earlier tonight in the hospital waiting room, every ounce of everything he had suppressed when it came to Scully had come bubbling to the surface. He might not be ready to get down on one knee, but he felt that _something_ should be said. But how? And what?

"Dana."

She pulled back from him just enough to look up at him with eyes that were both puzzled and hopeful. Dana? He rarely called her Dana.

"I…ummm….I mean…"

And he bent down and claimed her mouth once more.

She responded by crawling onto his lap and wrapping her arms tightly around him. Then something broke in her and the tears came again. She knew she was hopelessly in love with this man, had known it for a long time. _I don't want this to spoil things for us...but I need him._

The kiss was long, fiery, and fervent. When they finally parted, Scully's face was wet with tears and Mulder's eyes were shining. Everything he had wanted to say had been said. Scully placed her hands on Mulder's cheeks and he did the same, using his thumb to trace the outline of her lips.

"Mulder," she started.

"Shush…don't Scully… don't say anything….just….enjoy it."

He picked her up the best he could manage, and carried her into the bedroom. Gently, he laid her down across the bed and joined her.

And so they began that age-old ritual of body, mind, and soul connecting and melding together as one…a miracle in itself, really. Right now…at this moment…the future was _here_ …with each other.

And the whole of a new millennium was out there waiting.


End file.
